Hong Kong gets its first ICT-focused career-building community

Anuradha Shukla |
Aug. 2, 2010

ICT Human Resources Consortium to assist jobless ICT professionals

SHENZHEN, CHINA, 2 AUGUST 2010 -- Hong Kong now has its very first information and communications technology -focused career-building community. It is a project of the ICT Human Resources Consortium, which includes many reputable industry bodies.

This community aims to reduce ICT unemployment by boosting industry professionalism and stimulating career development.

Improve career outlook

ICTCareer, which is supported at multiple levels by the Hong Kong government, IT vendors and industry associations, including others, offers ICT professionals help with key initiatives such as job-hunting, internships, building competency, starting an IT-centric business, and becoming a consultant.

At the launch of the ICT Career Center (ICTCareer), the Hong Kong secretary for commerce and economic development, Rita Lau Ng Wan-Lai, thanked the consortium for organising this momentous initiative, focused on assisting ICT professionals improve their career prospects.

According to Wan-Lai, the preservation of jobs and the support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were very high on the agenda of the government including members of the ICT sector.

Earlier in the year, said the secretary, the government chief information officer Jeremy Godfrey and his colleagues had actively engaged ICT association representatives to develop particular measures to help ICT professionals afflicted by the economic troubles sweeping the industry.

As a result of the coordination, all concerned were able to come up with the idea of a one-stop online portal that not only connects ICT professionals with those requiring their particular expertise but also helps these professionals develop their skills, set up businesses and/or become self-employed. In addition, an offline career-building element was also crafted.

Transforming Hong Kong's economy

The secretary said the consortium's initiative had the government's full support. The government, she said, had provided more than US$340,000 for the formation of the centre.

This is done in support of the Hong Kong chief executive's Policy Address, in which he identified six key industries environmental industries, testing and certification services, educational services, medical services, cultural and creative services, and innovation and technology all of which require ICT expertise.

The secretary further added that the government would continue to support the centre as it works to expand opportunities for Hong Kong's ICT enterprises and professionals, with an eye towards transforming Hong Kong into a true knowledge-based digital economy.

ICTCareer is currently in the last stages of preparation and is to begin to assist the ICT sector in a month's time. To this end, organisers actively encourage interested parties such as IT vendors and recruitment agencies to join them and contribute to their efforts.